Rack-rail locomotive.



G. E. LYNCH.

BACK RAIL LOCOMOTIVE- APPLIOATlOH FILED JAI. 26, 1906.

Patented 001;. 27, 1908.

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G. B. LYNCH.

BACK BAIL LOGOMOTIVE.

nrmoumn FILED 1m. no, 1906.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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alon UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. Gill JORGE E. LYNCH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RACK-RAIL LOCOHO'IIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application fled January 26, 1806. Serial No. 298,048.

- PatentedOct. 27; 1908.

It pertains particularly to mechanism through which power is applied from the mot'or on the vehicle for rotating two vehiclesupporting and driving wheels-arranged oppositely to each other on the same horizontal axis transverse of the vehicle as well as a rack wheel sprocket arranged on the said axis and between the said drive wheels ,said mechanism being arranged toallow for compensation be-- tween the said supporting and driving wheels and the said rack wheel in accordance with the relative speeds of rotation of the pitch circle of the latter and. the tread circles of the Its object is to insure the continuous and uniform operation of said rack wheel a rack rail section irrespective of whet er the ound-engaging and driving wheels thro'ug which power may also be transmitted are rotating at the same speed as it, or at difierentspeeds, and to compensate for such difference in s eed and to obviate the slippage of the ve "ole-supporting and driving wheels along their supporting surfaces. K

For the purposes of illustration I will herein describe a mechanism embod ing myimproveinents and a plied to driving the rack wheel and the trac wheels of an electric rack rail locomotive in which the said wheels are all mounted on the same axis.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric locomotive embodying ,my improvements...

Fig. '2 is a'plan viewof the same with the top casing or cover'detached. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2. "Fig. 4 is'a'vertical transverse section on the line 44,' Fig. 2.

Fig. '5is a section on the lined- 5, Fig. 4.

F""".'6 is a section on the line 6 -6, 4.

I i tirety the framework of an electric locomotive; B,O,Ithefront' and rear thereof,

7 to 12 show details." the drawings A represents as an entical planes containing the axes of the front and rear axles, B, C.

1, 1 are counter shafts mounted transversely of the locomotive frame in suitable bearings carried thereby. 1

2, 2, are spur ears rigidly connected to these counter sha ts respectively, and both meshing with and being driven by a pinion 3 secured to the armature shaft 4 of the motor.

5, 5 are gear wheels rigidly secured to the rear and front counter shafts respectively at the opposite ends thereof from the gears 2, 2.

' 6, 6, are gear wheels loosely mounted on the axles C and B respectively, and the former meshing with and driven by the gear I 5, and the latter meshing with and driven by the gear 5. I

' 7 1s a sleeve loosely mounted upon the axle C and held from lon itudinal movement thereon by means of co lars 8, 8, secured to the said axle. The end of the said sleeve in the vertical lane of the ear 6 has the lat.- erally extencling annular ange 7 which carries the outward extending sector-shaped plates or arms 7 7", and the longitudinally extending curvilinear arms or projections 7,

7 The latter projections extend for bill a portionof the distance about the circu erence of the said flange, as indicated, their ad jacent ends being separated by the spaces 7, 7. curvilinear arms or extensions 7", 7 so as to be free to revolve relatively thereto.

9 is a ratchet rigidl secured to the axle in the space bounde by the said axle, the

The gear 6 1s loosely mounted on these flange or web 7 of the sleeve, and the arms 7", 7 ,carried thereby.

10, 1,0, are pawl recesses, in the inner surface or circumference of the gear 6. These recesses are preferably arrangeddian'ietric-v ally opposite to each other in the said gear I and each one haso positelyinclined bottom surfaces, each ofwhich extends from them-f ner circumference of the gear to the deepest point of the recess therein.

m pawls f mbly cylindrical 'i n sha e and adapted to be fitted between the wal s of the pawl recesses in the gear 6 and the erimeter of the ratchet wheel 9. These paw s are of such diameter that when they are seated in the deepest portion of therecesses in the gear wheel 6, the ratchet wheel 9 may turn without enga ing them, while when they are seated at other points within said recess on either'side of the center thereof, they will be engaged by the ratchet teeth of the wheel and, when in operative osition, each will be gri ped between the wa s of one of the said teeth and the wall of the recess on the side thereof in which it is located.

12 is an annular plate arranged on the outer side of the gear wheel 6 and about the axle C. i

13, 13' are curvilinear lugs or projections arranged on the inside of gear 6 and carried by an annular plate 13. The plates 12, and 13 are held in osition by bolts 13*, arranged as shown. e lugs 13, 13, are fitted about the flange 7 of the sleeve 7 and have their radial edges adapted to enga e withor be engaged by the radial edges 0 the out-- wardly extending projections 7 7', on said sleeve. The spaces between the radial edges of the lugs or projections 13 13, are greater in width than the width of the extensions 7*, 7*, so as to permit a certain amount of lost motion or p tive rotation of the gear and the sleeve so as to separate either of the pairs of'radial coo erating edges of the said parts and bring tlEe cooperating edges of the other pairs into engagement with each other.

he sleeve 7 may be su orted in bearings in hangers 14, 14, carriefliy the locomotive frame. 15 is a rack or sprocket wheel rigidly secured to the sleeve '7 and adapted to rotate therewith in either direction.

When power is applied from the motor to rotate the gear wheel 6 through the interposed power transmitting mechanism, the said gear is caused to revolve in a given direction in accordance with the direction of rotation of the armature shaft of the motor. Assuming that the power is applied so as to rotate the said gear 1n the direction indicated b the arrow m Fig. '5, this will cause the.

1 b ocks or lugs 13, 13, to engage the projections 7, 7', upon the sleeve 7 in such manneras to rotate the sleeve in the same direction, under which circumstances the lon tudinal projections 7, 7 carried by t e said sleeve, will be rotated within the gear 6 to the position shown in Fig. 5 in which they prevent the rollers or pawls- 11 from operating at one side of the recesses in the gear 6 as shown, and the pawls are advanced 1f necessary about the ratchet wheel 9 by the edges of the projections 7, 7, then at the innermost end of the recess wall on the same side 0F nonls 'nnnncq until Hm 'nnwl therein R'HQ'QYUBS ay between the cob crating radial edges of these parts and to a ow the rela-'' with one of the teeth of the ratchet and a gripping action is set up between the gear wheel 6 and the ratchet wheel and the pawls.

When the parts have assumed this relation to each other, power willbe transmitted from the ear wheel through the ratchet and pawl mec anism to drive the axle in the same direction as the sleeve 7 is being driven.

In many traction systems where grades of different degrees are met with, it is often desirable to provide along such grades sections of rack rail and to equip the locomotive or tractor for the system with a rack or rack wheels which Wlll operate in' conjunctionwith said rack rails to increase the traction efiort of the locomotive at those points where grades are encountered. This makes the locomotive adaptable both for rack rail purposes and for operatin along ordinary track sections not equipped with rack rails. Owing to the relatively small space available in electric locomotives for mine work, yard work and the like, it is essential in a locomotive of this combined type that the power transmitting mechanism between the motor and the track wheels and rack wheel or wheels should be as simple .and readily accessible as possible, confined in the smallest possible space, and it is desirable that it be automatic in its operation.

It is well known that it is almost impossible to construct a locomotive having a rack wheel mounted on the same axis as a pair of locomotive-propelling track wheels and to maintain the tread circles of the track wheels absolutely equal in diameter to the pitch circle of the rack wheel. The wear and tear on the parts is such as to preclude the maintenance of such relationship where the machine is used to any considerable extent, and this being the case, the desirability of providing such'a compensating mechanism as herein disclosed is at once apparent.

Assumin then that the sprocket or rack wheel 15 as its 'pitch diameter slightly greater than the tread diameter of the track wheels, it will be noted, that when the rack wheel is operated on a section of the rack rail A it will tend to cause the advance of the locomotive at a linear speed of travel greater than that at which the track wheels tend to advance it and in consequence the track wheels will slip along the rails unless there is some compensation by means of which they are permitted to turn sufliciently rapidly to have the peri heral speed of their rail section, the track wheels will have to be permitted to rotate faster thanusual. The

' rack rails.

ratchet and pawl mechanism provides for this, since when there is a tendency for the track wheel to rotate faster than normally and faster than the sleeve 7 is rotating, the ratchet wheel 9 on the axle will turn relatively to the sleeve in such manner as to advance the pawls 11, 11, toward the deeper parts of the recesses 10, 10 in the gear 6 in such manner as to permit the ratchet to turn relatively to the said sleeve and to slip by the pawls if the difference in speed of rotation of the sleeve 7 and the axle C requires it in order to effect the proper compensation of these parts.

When it is desired to cause the locomotive to travel in the direction opposite to that incheated by the arrow in Fig. 5, the armature shaft is caused to reverse its direction of rotation and consequently that of the. gear wheel 6, which will cause the curvilinear wheel-controlling stops 13, 13 on said gear to rotate relative to the sleeve 7 until they have engaged the extension 7, 7 thereon. The lost motion between the radial edges of the parts 13, 13, and the 006 crating edges ofitheextension, 7 7 carrie by the sleeve, permits of the movement of the gear 6 relative to the sleeve 7 in such manner as to bring the edges of the projections 7, 7,", into the relative positions indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, in which they compel the pawls to act on the opposite sides or sections of each recess 10 10, from that in which they operated when the gear 6 was rotating in the other direction.

The ratchet and pawl mechanism 0 erates to compensate in the same manner or the relative speeds of the pitch circle of the rack wheel and the tread circle of the track wheels when the parts are revolving in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. as it does when operating in the direction indicated thereby.

A set of power transmitting parts similar to those arranged on axle C are also arranged on the front axle B between the said axle and gear 6, and since these parts are identical in every (let/ail with those on the rear axle, it is not deemed necessary to further describe them The rack wheel on the sleeve on the axle B is indicated by 15 and the gearing betweenthe motor pinion 3, and the rack wheels 15, 15, may be so constructed and related, that the rack wheels will operate synchronously and simultaneously upon the In this manner it may be provided that at least one of the teeth of one rack wheel will always be in operative engagement with the rack rail so as to be imparting motion to the locomotive in the desired direction.

It will be noted that irrespective of the difierent'relations of each rack wheel on each axle to the track wheels on the said axle, that the power transmitting mechanism beoperating on a rack rail section.

tives of this type which are adapted to nar- I row-gage roads it is essential to encom ass tween the driving gears 6, 6', and their respective rack wheels and track wheels 1s such that compensat on between the driving parts on each axle will be efiected so as to insure the travel of the locomotive without the slip )age of any of the track wheels.

ll hen desired, the motor may be used to drive simply the parts referred to onthe axle C and this axle may then, if desired, be connone in. which both the rack wheel and the track wheels are arranged on the same axle and both are adapted to be driven from the same motor, and for which automatically acting con'ipensating mechanism is rovided to permit the rotation of the trac wheels relative to the rack wheel when the latter is In locomothe driving mechanism on the driving ax e in as small a space as possible. here manually operated clutches have been employed between the axle carrying the track wheels and the rack wheel on the said axle, such clutches have taken up a considerable amount of room which it could ill be afforded to spare. In a mechanism such as I have devised it will be noted that the same gear which transmits the power for rotating both the axle and the rack wheel carries the mechanism for effecting the necessary compensation in rotation between these parts and that the two sets of propelling devices, the track wheels and the rack wheel, operate about the same axis and in differential radiation to each other.

I claim 1. In a rack rail locomotive, the combination with a locomotive frame, axles therefor, tracleengaging supporting wheels on the said axles, and a motor on the frame, of a rack wheel mounted on the-frame, and the train of power trrmsmitting devices interposed between said motor and both said. rack wheel and one of said axles and adapted to rotate both the rack wheel and the axle with power, and having in said train compensating mechanism to allow the said axle to rotate relative to the said rack wheel.

mountedand adapted to rotate both the driving axle, and a train of power transmitting devices interposed between said motor on the locomotive and the said rack wheel and axle and ada ted to drive both the rack wheeland the a e with power, and having in said train compensating mechanism ar-' ranged to allow the-axle to rotate relative to the rack wheel.

, 4. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination with a locomotive frame, axles mounted therein, track wheels rigidly secured to the axles, and a motor on the frame, of a rack wheel loosely mounted on one of said axles, power transmitting compensating mechanism interposed between said rack wheel and said axle, and power transmitting mechanism interposed between said power transmitting compensating mechanism and said motor.

5. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination with a truck frame, axles mounted therein, track wheels rigidly secured to said axles and a motor on the frame, of a rack wheel loosely mounted on one of said axles, a differential ower transmitting mechanism interposed etween said, axle and said rack wheel, and having an external gear, and a train of power transmitting devices interposed between said differential power transmitting mechanism gear and the said motor.

6. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination of a truck frame, axles mounted therein, track wheels rigidly secured to said axles, and a motor mounted on the frame, of a rack wheel loosely mounted on one of said axles, a differential power transmitting mechansim interposed between said rack wheel and the axle upon which it is mounted and adapted to transmitpower for rotating both said axle and said rack wheel and to permit, when necessary, the relative rotation of said rack wheel and axle, and a train 'of power transmitting mechanism interposed between said differential mechanism and said motor.

7. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination with a locomotive truck frame, axles mounted therein, track wheels rigidly secured to the axles, and, a motor on the frame, of a rack wheel loosely mounted on one of said axles, and power transmitting mechanism interposed between said motor and both the said rack wheel and the axle on which it is mounted and adapted to drive the said rack wheel and the track wheels and the said axles with power, and comprising means for automatically ermitting the rotation of said track whees relative to said rack wheel when the rack wheel is operating along a rack section and the diameter of its pitch circle varies from the diameter of the tread circles of the track wheels on the said axle.

8. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination with a locomotive frame, axles mounted therein, track wheels rigidly secured to the axles, and a motor on the frame, of a rack wheel loosely mounted on one of said axles, and a train of power transmitting devices interposed between said motor and both the said rack wheel and the said axle upon which it is mounted and adapted to rotate the rack wheel and the track wheels on the said axle with power, and provided with means for automatically permit ting the rotation of the track wheels relative to the rack wheel to prevent their slippage along the track rails when the rack wheel is operating along a rack section to propel the locomotive.

9. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination with a locomotive frame, axles mounted therein, track wheels secured to the 'axles and a motor on the frame, of a rack wheel loosely mounted on one of said axles, difi'erential mechanism interposed between said rack wheel and said' axle, and comprising ratchet and pawl mechanism automatically acting to drive the rack wheel and axle together or to permit of their rotation relative to each other, and power transmitting mechanism interposed between said ratchet and pawl mechanism and the motor.

10. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination with a locomotive frame, axles mounted therein, track wheels secured to the axles and a motor on the frame, of a rack wheel loosely mounted on one of said axles, a ratchet and pawl mechanism interposed between said rack wheel andsaid axle and adapted both to cause the rack wheel and axle to rotate together and to ermit of their rotation relative to each ot er, and

ower transmitting mechanism interposed between said ratchet and pawl mechanism 115 and said motor.

11. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination with a locomotive frame, axles mounted therein, track wheels secured to the axles and a motor on the frame, of a 120 sleeve loosely mounted on said axle and having longitudinal curvilinear sections with their ends separated from each other, a gear wheel loosely mounted on said sections and having pawl-receiving recesses into which the 125 .ends of the curvilinear sections on the sleeve are adapted to extend, means carried by the said earand also by the said sleeve for causing t e gear to rotate the sleeve, said means allowing for a certain amount of lost motion 130 (mp1s between the gear and the sleeve when the direction of rotation of the gear is changed in order to change the position of the edges of the curvilinear extensions on the sleeve within the pawl recessesin the gear, a ratchet wheel rigidly secured to the axle, and pawls in the said-recesses in the gear arranged to engage with the walls of the said recesses and gular velocities of said rack wheel and track the said rack wheels, and havin trains compensatin mechanism a a ted. to

wheel, substantially as set forth.

13. In a locomotive of the class described,

the combination with a locomotive frame, a pair of driving axles mounted therein, track wheels rigidly secured to the said axles, and a motor or motors on the frame of a pair of rack wheels, trains of power transmitting mechanism interposed between the motor or motors on the frame and both the axles m sea permit the track w eels and rack w eels to rotate at different speeds, the said trains of power transmitting mechanisms also being arranged to operate said rack wheels synchronously.

14. In a plurality of drivin 1dly secured to said driving axles and a mo.- tor or motors on the frame, of a lu'rality of rack wheels each loosely mounted on one of the said axles, power transmitting compensating mechanism inte osed between each of said rack wheels an its respective axle,

and power transmitting mechanism interlocomotive of the class described, the combination with a locomotive frame,-a. axles, track wheels rigposed between said motor or motors and said rack wheels and adapted to operate them synchronously.

15. The combination with a supporting frame, axles therefor, traction wheels mounted -on the axles and a motor mounted in the frame, of a rack wheel also mounted in the frame, and two sets of gearing driven by the motor, one rotating the traction wheels and the other the said rack wheel, one set of gearing comprising an automatically operating clutch arranged to permit both the traction and the rack wheels to be positively driven even though the pitch circle of the rack wheel and the tread circles of the traction wheels may vary in diameter, substantially as set forth. v v

16. In a locomotive of the class described, the combination of adhesive track wheels, a rack wheel, a motor, a train of gearing connecting the motor to one of the track wheels, and a train of gearing connecting the motor to the rack wheel, one of said trains of gearing having between two of its elements a variable set fort 17. In a locomotive of the olassdescribed,

the'combination of adhesive trackwheels, a rack wheel, a motor, and a system ofpower gfiar ratio connection, substantially-as transmitting devices interconnecting the motor, one of the track wheels and the rack wheel, two of the elements of said system of power transmitting devices having avariable gear ratio connection, said connection bein so located as to be operatively interose lirack wheel, substantiall as set forth.

In testimony whereof affix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses. v

GEORGE E. LYNCH. Witnesses:

" F. E. VAN semi,

O. E. Waxnou.

between the rack wheel and the said 

